Thursday, September 9, 2010

The Moviegoers on Mangoose Records

The sound on the Moviegoers single is a little bit like the photo on the sleeve. It's staged, it's nodding to commercial photography, pin up mags, but there's something off, the car isn't perfectly clean, her expression is trying-to-please a little too hard, and the background is too 'suburban street'...another words, it's real.There's more than a hint of nostalgia for the '90s here, Sarah records, Slumberland, that jangle indie guitar shoegaze.The A-Side, Big High School has dual guy/girl vocals....it's a little twee maybe, if that even can still make sense anymore. Earnestly fuzzy, complete with a keyboard melody that seals the deal, couldn't be more perfect and when the MBV guitar swirls in and they lyrically recall, what else? High School. I'm completely sold. I couldn't be more of a sucker for high school nostalgia when you're getting to know a small circle of friends actually making real decisions about your life and fucking up big time. Everything is earthshattering. I played Copper Blue at full volume in the attic when that jerk started dating my best friend...see?That's what this is doing.The superfuzz guitar sound is perfect...and it's way too brief. But they want to play with that quiet breakdown section, the melody jangle and then blow it all out again.Musically it's all about a nostalgic era, deceptively upbeat with an air of depression and then the lyrics reminisce. It's a perfect combination."Riding shotgun in cars"....It's almost a duet, an older-now ex-couple, home for the holidays. The saddest indie pop situation. Remember the 405 single from DCFC? Well, it's not going to make you almost sick with regret...you can still half dance to it.

I have to admit I was a little skeptical of The B-Side, 'Avalanche'. Were they going in a too self referential direction? Too many pop culture mentions? But it's just a little Leonard Cohen for a moment, but they pull you back in when it all goes massive shoegaze again. It's that slow plodding swirl that sets up a real downer. Did I say this was twee? What the fuck?They ooze that kind of nostalgia, I don't know if it's the angelic backup vocals from Jessica, or if anything so clean sounding just makes me think fondly of the early days of Alternative music?To top it off, it's another dysfunctional relationship, a sad story that takes place in Brooklyn (?!) and it sounds like some sort of drunken one night stand between two people already in a relationship with each other.

Neither of these tracks protagonists end up happy, and that's the stuff of driving around all night feeling sorry for yourself.

In the best randomly made by a friend who's a girl mix tape way.What does that even mean?I have to get back to my adult life.

But first, get this from Mangoose Records.Articulately clever lyrics on the reverse side of the sleeve, and a handmade download postcard inside.

The End

If you're pressing 7" vinyl - you aren't in it for the money. I appreciate it.
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